The present invention addresses a long-standing need for a means of selectively providing, about a potentially hazardous area such as an in ground pool, a security perimeter, in the nature of a fence, that would render difficult or impossible the entry by a child or pet to the immediate perimeter of the pool.
While it is commonplace for in-ground pools to be surrounded by fixed-position fences which can be positively locked to prevent access thereto, many owners of property having such pools are hesitant to install such permanent fixed position structures on their property for a variety of reasons, these ranging from the aesthetic to the practical, namely, upon many properties in which an in-ground pool has been installed the permanent residents of the dwelling upon such property are of an age such that it is not necessary, for any safety reason, to provide a permanent security perimeter about the pool. However, as is commonplace, visitors to such households may include smaller children and pets so that, during such visits, different safety and security needs, relative to the pool will exist. The instant invention is, therefore, adapted to situations in which the need does not necessarily exist for a permanent fence structure near or about an in-ground pool but, rather, in situations that will arise only occasionally such as a visit from friends or family having smaller children or pet.
With regard to that prior art known to the inventors herein, the use of configurable fences, in various forms, has been known in the animal husbandry arts for many years where, for example, it is necessary to separate groups of animals of one type from animals not of that type or to provide direction, on a selectably basis, for movement of such animals within pens or the like. To the knowledge of the inventors, such prior art, as it is known in the area of animal husbandry, does not afford a structure having suitable flexibility and range of reconfiguration as does the system set forth herein. As well, the respective areas of application are non-analogous to each other.